Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a device for modifying ejected casings trajectories, and more particularly to an apparatus, device, and method for deflecting and dampening spent casings ejected from the firing chamber of a firearm.
Description of the Related Art
Firearms include weapons in the various barreled weapons types where the firearm works to launch one or more projectiles through the barrel of a firearm when acted by a driving force. Modern firearms usually use an integrated cartridge that includes the projectile and the driving force as the ammunition.
For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a cartridge 100 for a modern firearm. The projectile is the bullet 130 at the head of the cartridge 100. The driving force is provided by a reaction between the primer 120 and the propellant substance 140. These contents of the cartridge 100 are packed in the cartridge 100 by the casing 110. The cartridge 100 is loaded into the firing chamber of a firearm as a self-contained ammunition. The cartridge 100 is matched to the type of firearm (e.g., size, weight, caliber, etc.).
Upon being struck with force (e.g., struck by a hammer or firing pin actuated by a user of the firearm pulling the trigger), the primer 120 heats up and is pushed to the propellant substance 140. The propellant substance 140 (which can be smokeless powder) reacts chemically with the heated primer 120 to produce expanding gas, which fills the chamber of cartridge 100 and leads to the forceful expulsion of the bullet 130 through the barrel of the firearm due to the pressure from the expanding gas. Upon firing of the bullet 130 from the barrel, the cartridge 100 is emptied of the contents due to chemical reaction (e.g., conversion of the propellant substance 140 to gas) and the physical ejection of the bullet 130. The casing 110 remains in the firing chamber of the firearm and must be discarded prior to the firing of the bullet in the next cartridge.
The ejection or discharge of the spent casing (brass) from the firing chamber of the firearm may be performed manually by a user (e.g., single-action or double-action revolvers, pump-action, bolt-action, or lever-action) or automatically loading (e.g., semi-automatic or fully-automatic firearms). In automatic-loading or self-loading firearms, the spent casing is ejected from the firing chamber by various mechanical mechanisms that are either partially or fully powered by the pressure that expunged the bullet (e.g., recoil operation, blowback operation, or gas operation). The ejected spent casings from continuous operation of the firearm are non-essential to the operation of the firearm and accumulate as potentially waste products near the vicinity of the firearm.
Some firearms, such as those of the AR platform, may have brass deflectors for deflecting the spent casings ejected from the firing chamber at the side of the guns. These brass deflectors are integrated to the gun and are made of the same metal parts as the firearm.
There are deficiencies with the related art. The brass deflectors on the AR platform and other types of firearms are generally very erratic in their operation. It is hard to control the deflection angles of each ejected casings as the firearm is in continuous operation. For example, each casing may be ejected from the firing chamber at different speeds and trajectories (e.g., due to factors such as variations in the amount of propellant substance thus leading to variations in the ejection force, general lateral movements and other displacements of the firearm, operating conditions such as atmosphere pressure, humidity, etc., and other factors). Even slight variations in the casing's ejection speed and trajectory may lead to a large difference in the eventual displacement of the spent casing by the brass deflector due to the large comparative distance that ejected casing is eventually at rest (e.g., a few feet from the firearm). Basically, the spent casings are scattered all over the ground.
Another deficiency is that the firearm with the brass deflector in the related art may be designed mainly to deflect the spent casings from a user operating the firearm at a typical right-handed firing position (e.g., aligning the aim of the firearm using the right eye and operating the trigger using the right hand, where the user's center of the body may be aligned with the left side of the firearm). For example, the brass deflector may be designed to deflect to the right side of the firearm to avoid a typical right-handed user's body when operating the firearm. This may not be optimal for a typical left-handed firing position (e.g., for a left-handed user) or military users that may need to use the firearm from other positions. It is known the left-handed and military users constantly get hits and burns from the deflected spent casings (also known as “brass burns”).
Yet another deficiency is that the brass deflector of the firearm in the related art are made of the same or similar metallic materials as with the firearm. For example, the brass deflector are made from metallic materials that are molded to or otherwise attached to the firearm. The molding and/or attachment to the firearm may be relatively permanent (e.g., the brass deflector is designed to be attached to the firearm for prolong usage and not designed to be replaced for the lifetime of the firearm). The metallic brass deflector is painted or coated over for appearance and to protect the metallic material. Consequently, the repeated contact of ejected casings with the brass deflector causes damage to the paint or coating and/or even the metallic materials of the brass deflector itself. This results in at least the general unsightliness of the a firearm with damaged looking brass deflector due to the damage to the paint. Further problems may develop from the actual damage of the brass deflector in effectively and accurately deflecting spent casings (e.g., due to scratches, dents, and other damages to the surface or structural integrity of the brass deflector affecting the correct operation (e.g., deflection trajectory) of the spent casings).